


Don't Stop Believing

by polaroidestiel



Category: One Direction
Genre: 20/23, Alternate Universe, M/M, Mostly Fluff, idk I wrote this a while ago and the writing at the beginning is shaky, nice and short though, pretty nice and then kind of sad, the word whore is used once, there's some drunk karaoke bar singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-09 20:17:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5553890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polaroidestiel/pseuds/polaroidestiel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry needs a place to stay and Louis has an open room.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Stop Believing

 

Harry grabbed his bag of clothes and walked out the front door. He was sick of his mum, stepdad, and Gemma always telling him what to do. He had come home on vacation from university, but his week so far had been nothing like a vacation.

He didn't care what his family would think when they woke up to find him missing. Maybe they would be a little worried, but he was a man, he could take care of himself. He walked to the train station a few blocks over checking his phone for the time. The glowing screen showed that it was eleven forty-five. He glanced around him and saw a man in a red beanie, a loose tank top that revealed a chest tattoo and a few arm tattoos, and a pair of black jeans with black Converse peaking out. The man was having a hushed, angry conversation over the phone. Harry studied him closely. What was he doing here? Why was he angry? And who was this Eleanor he was arguing with? Was she his girlfriend? Sister? Wife even? The man angrily stuffed his phone into his pocket and sat down, looking around the station. He caught Harry's eyes and instead of looking away like Harry figured the man would, the man held Harry's gaze until Harry was too uncomfortable to keep staring. A few minutes later, Harry felt a presence beside him. The green eyed lad turned, and there sat the man who was on the phone.

"My name's Louis." He said, sticking out his hand. Harry noticed his voice was now cheerful and slightly higher pitched than most men's voices. It was quite pleasant actually.

Harry took the man's, Louis', hand. "I'm Harry." Louis laughed.

"I can tell." He gestured jokingly to Harry's impressive set of curls. A light blush appeared on Harry's cheeks.

"Yeah, um, I s'pose you could."

"What are you doing here, Harry?" Louis asked. "You seem a little too young to be out on your own in London." His cerulean eyes studied the younger boy's own bright green pair. Harry straightened up to his full height (as much as he could sitting down) and looked down at Louis. "I'm twenty. I believe that's legal age."

Louis didn't waver under Harry's defiant stare. In fact, he didn't even hesitate to say: "That's why I'm worried about you. There are people out there who wouldn't mind taking advantage of a handsome, legal, twenty year old."

Harry thought over what Louis had just said. He was right of course, but he wasn't about to go back home.

Louis continued, "Plus, your parents probably won't want you to come home with STD's." Harry knew Louis had a point, and he knew he shouldn't be here, but he also knew that if he went home, his family would probably kill him for attempting to run away.

"I don't think you understand." Harry said. Louis stopped his list of reasons Harry should go home, and raised an eyebrow.

"What don't I understand, Harry?" Harry took a breath and began explaining why going home would be wrong. All of it. From his parents divorce; to his mum's remarriage with his stepdad, Robin; to Gemma's sudden maturity; Robin's abuse; and he even told Louis about his cutting and numerous suicide attempts. He considered telling Louis of his sexuality, but decided he didn't need someone else hating him. He didn't know what, but something about Louis made him want to just share his whole life story, he'll never see him again anyway. Not to mention it felt amazing to get the weight off his chest.

  
Louis gazed at the younger boy for a long while until Harry started to become uncomfortable. Finally, Louis spoke. "Well, do you have anywhere to go?"

Harry shuffled nervously in his seat. "Um, not exactly." Louis sighed.

"Alright then you can stay with me."

Harry gaped. "Are you serious?" Louis nodded. "Until you have a place to stay."

Harry was gobsmacked. No one was ever this nice to him. Ever. In his life. He had accepted that no one would ever love him. And in a situation like this, most adults would send him straight home to his parents; but here was an adult, and a complete stranger, not only letting him run away, but helping him do it.

Harry blinked a few times as if to clear his head and let a grin appear on his face. "Thanks, Louis."

Louis returned his grin. "It's the least I could do for you after what you've been through," Harry was about to thank him again, but Louis continued. "I usually take the midnight train and just randomly get off."

Harry shrugged. "That's what I was going to do anyway."

Louis smiled, "Good, because there it is." He pointed at the train pulling into the dirty station. The doors opened and the two boys boarded. They made small talk for a few minutes until the train pulled out.

"So, Harry," Louis started. "Tell me about yourself."

"Well, um, my full name is Harry Styles and I'm twenty years old. I'm a student at Manchester University studying law. I came home for vacation at the beginning of this week and now I'm here."

Louis' eyebrows scrunched up.

"There has to be more. Don't you have any best friends, a girlfriend maybe?" Harry shifted uncomfortably.  
"I have a best friend named Cher."

"Does 'best friend' actually mean girlfriend?" Harry knew he should tell Louis about his interest in males, and he supposed now was better than when he's at his house.

"Um, I don't exactly, um, like girls." Louis' eyes widened for a millisecond, but they went back to their normal size so fast Harry wasn't sure if he actually saw correctly.

"Well that's alright because I don't either." Louis slung his arm around Harry's shoulder. The train pulled into the next stop and Louis removed his arm and stood up. "I guess this is an alright place to get off."

"Why here?"

Louis shrugged, "Why not?" The pair got off and started walking down the road. A loud cheering could be heard and they followed the noise until they came in front of a bar. More specifically, a karaoke bar.

"Do you mind going here?" Louis asked. Harry's grin almost split his face. He loved to sing and he hadn't been to a proper karaoke bar in a long time.

"I'll take that as a 'no, Louis, of course I don't mind'." He imitated Harry's slow, deep drawl, causing Harry to laugh.

"That's exactly what I meant." They entered the slightly rundown bar, the smell of smoke and perfume hit their noses instantly as they sat down on the bar stools.

"What would you like, lads?" An Irish accent asked. They looked up and a young bartender stood in front of them.

"I'll take a glass of wine." Harry said.

"Classy," Louis muttered, "make that two wines." The bartender nodded and walked off to grab their drinks.

"So, Louis, I told you about me, can you return the favour?" Harry leaned forward on his hands and looked at the smaller boy and raised his eyebrows.

Louis cleared his throat and began talking, "I'm Louis Tomlinson, I'm twenty two on Christmas Eve. I'm studying to be a drama teacher and have four younger sisters."

"Four?!" Louis chuckled slightly.

"Yeah, four."

The bartender came up with their drinks. "Here you go, lads." They thanked him and he walked off.

"Do you sing, Harry?" Louis asked, sipping his drink.

"Actually, yeah. I was the lead singer of a band back home."

Louis smirked. "Coincidentally, so was I. Just for a short while though." Harry smirked whilst sipping his drink, "How short?"

Louis blushed slightly, "Short enough where I can't remember the name of the band," Harry's smirk transformed into a grin. "Oh shut up, curly."

Louis shoved the taller lad and faced forward, signalling for the bartender. "Yes'sir?"

Louis held up his cup a few inches above the table. "Can I have another glass of wine?"

The bartender turned to Harry, "What about you, lad?"

Harry nodded, "I'd like another glass as well."

The bartender nodded and walked off. Louis spoke, "So are you going to sing? We are at a karaoke bar?"

Harry nodded and raised his eyebrows, a smirk playing at his lips, "What about you Mr. 'I-Can't-Remember-The-Name-Of-My-Old-Band'?"

A blush crept up Louis' face, "What about me?"

"Are you going to sing?" The blush was deepening by the second.

"I'm not that good..."

"You were the lead singer of a band, Lou. You have to be at least a little good."

Louis, in an attempt to change the subject, smirked, "Lou?"

It was Harry's turn to blush, "Um, well..." Louis laughed. "It's fine, Haz."

It was Harry's turn to smirk, "Haz?"

Louis threw his hands up, "You needed a nickname!"

The taller boy shook his head, "You never answered my question."

"Yeah I might," Louis took his glass of wine from the bartender and Harry followed suit. "If you sing with me."

Harry nearly choked on his wine. "What?"

"You heard me. I'll sing if you sing with me."

Harry's eyes were the size of saucers. "Lou! I'm not that good."

"You were the lead singer of a band, Haz," Louis mimicked. "You have to be at least a little good."

Harry rolled his baby green eyes, "Funny."

"I thought so." The younger boy sighed and took a drink of wine.

"So how long have you been together?" A voice asked. The alarmed duo jumped.

"Excuse me?" Louis managed to get out.

"I asked," the bartender said slowly, "how long you have been together."

"We're not."

"Yeah, we just met." Harry explained.

The bartender raised a slim eyebrow. "It won't be that way for long. My nephew met a boy and they both claimed they weren't together. They pretended there was no chemistry, but I knew."

"What happened to them?" Louis questioned curiously.

"After a few months of friendship, they told each other they were both more inclined to men and started dating. They're planning on moving to America to get married."

Harry nodded, "Good for them."

"It must be so nice to have a love like that." Louis agreed.

The bartender gave him an exasperated look, "You're blind, mate." He walked off, leaving both boys to think about what he said.

"What do you think he meant?" Louis asked Harry.

"No idea." He replied, but he was pretty sure he knew exactly what the Irishman had meant.

Why else would he tell the two boys that story?

The answer was simple:

he believed Louis and Harry, two total strangers, were falling in love.

Harry knew that was crazy talk. No one had ever loved him, some random stranger wasn't going to after only knowing him for an hour. The idea was mental. Harry took the last swig of his wine and raised up his glass, signaling for a refill.

 

He didn't know how much later it was, but it had seemed like mere seconds to Harry. He had lost count of the glasses of wine he'd had at five. Louis had had just as much and was probably more drunk.

"Hazza!" The small brunette slurred. "Come seng wit meh." He grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him towards the stage.

"Noooo!"

"Yeeees!" Louis gave a hard tug and they were both on stage. The lights were bright and blinding and Harry had to hold up his hands to the lights to see properly. Louis, on the other hand, was as comfortable as can be and was whispering something to the DJ. The DJ, in response, nodded, grinning. Harry didn't know what Louis was planning, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Suddenly, the familiar piano chords were being played through the cheap speakers surrounding the stage, causing many curious eyes to look to the stage.

Louis nudged Harry as the first line's cue approached signaling for him to sing.

Just a small town girl

Livin' in a lonely world

She took the midnight train goin' anywhere

Harry poked Louis' stomach telling him it was now his turn.

Just a city boy

Born and raised in south Doncaster

He took the midnight train goin' anywhere

Harry chuckled at the obvious last minute lyric change and began singing again.

A singer in a smoky room

A smell of wine and cheap perfume

For a smile they can share the night

It goes on and on and on and on

Louis and Harry sang together for the next verse, both equally shocked at how perfectly their voices harmonized.

Strangers waiting  
Up and down the boulevard  
Their shadows searching in the night  
Streetlights people  
Living just to find emotion  
Hiding somewhere in the night

Harry sang the next part alone.

Working hard to get my fill  
Everybody wants a thrill  
Payin' anything to roll the dice just one more time

Louis' unnaturally high, but still angelic voice rang around the bar.

Some will win, some will lose  
Some were born to sing the blues  
Oh, the movie never ends  
It goes on and on and on and on

The pair began singing as a flawless duet again.

Strangers waiting  
Up and down the boulevard  
Their shadows searching in the night  
Streetlight people  
Living just to find emotion  
Hiding somewhere in the night

Don't stop believin'  
Hold on to that feelin'  
Streetlight people

Don't stop believin'  
Hold on  
Streetlight people

Don't stop believin'  
Hold on to that feelin'  
Streetlight people

Harry's tenor voice sang the last note and the mostly drunk audience burst into applause. Especially the blonde and lilac headed bartender, who clapped with a smirk. He gestured for the duo to come over. Louis, now a little more sober after being filled with the adrenaline from preforming, grabbed Harry's much larger hand and tugged him over.

"Another wine?" The Irishman gave him a look that said that wouldn't happen anytime soon. Instead, he pulled a brunette man into their view.

"Do you remember the story I told you earlier?" Louis and Harry both nodded.

"My nephew is actually not even one yet."

Louis looked at him curiously, "But he's getting marred?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "Obviously not."

Niall and the brunette grinned, "I was actually talking about myself. This is my boyfriend, Liam. It's the end of my shift, and we're leaving for America tomorrow morning. I just thought I should introduce him to you so you know you two have a chance."

Louis looked slightly alarmed, "You were talking about us earlier?"

Liam chuckled, and, with a poster boy smile, said, "It was nice meeting you two. Hopefully you'll end up as happy as Niall and I." He pecked Niall's cheek and Harry was sure the Irish lad's face was going to burst from his grin. Liam started to pull Niall to the door, but Niall unlatched his hand and pulled three napkins and two pens from behind the bar. He pushed one of each towards Harry and Louis and started scribbling furiously on the other two. "Write down your numbers. I need to know how you two turn out," When they had finished, Niall gave each boy one of his napkins and stuffed theirs into his pocket. Niall smiled, "Don't think I won't make routine check ups." He surprised them both by leaning over the bar and kissing their cheeks before skipping back to Liam and intertwining their fingers.

As soon as they walked out the door, Louis tilted his head towards Harry, "It's not fair he got your number before I did."

Harry grinned cheekily, "I like him more," Louis' face caused a laugh to erupt out of Harry's lips. "I'm kidding, I'll give you it when we get to your flat."

The older lad's face brightened instantly, "Let's go then." He grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him out of the bar down the streets of London.

 

Louis opened the door with a sweep of his hand, "Welcome to the Tomlinson residence, Harold."

Harry nodded appreciatively, "It's lovely, Lou."

"Now I believe you promised me your number." Louis held out his phone to Harry.

Harry took the phone out of his hand and, in return, gave Lou his as well. "Giving numbers is a two way street, Louis."

Louis nodded, within a minute, both boys had their own phones back in their pockets, and Harry was looking at the clock. He swore loudly. "What?" Louis asked.

"It's past three am."

Louis' eyes widened for about a second, "We should go to bed," he looked around. "Do you have your bag?"

Harry swore again, "I left it at the train station."

"S'alright, mate. You can wear some of my stuff."

Harry seriously doubted he'd fit into anything Louis owned, but he went with it. "I won't need anything until tomorrow. I usually sleep na-" he caught himself. "in my boxers." Louis didn't catch the slip-up and pointed to a door. "That's my room mate's room. He's studying abroad right now so you can use his room. I'm right next door if you need anything."

"Thanks, Lou. I really appreciate everything you've done."

Louis smiled at the curly haired boy as he opened his bedroom door, "Just being a friend."

"No, no you're not," Harry wasn't completely sure why he was saying this now. This can wait until morning, but at the same time, it couldn't. "You'd never met me before tonight. This is an act of pure hospitality and overall kindness. I thank you for being that. Goodnight, Louis." and with that, Harry shut the door, leaving a slightly stunned Louis in the hallway.

The next morning at breakfast, Harry's phone rang. "Hello?" he answered with a mouthful of bacon.

"Hey, Harry, it's Niall!" Harry hadn't really expected Niall to call, even though he did promise he would. "Is Louis there?"

"Um, yeah." he said as Louis dragged himself into the compact kitchen.

"Put me on speaker," Harry did so and told Niall he could continue. "So basically what happened was we had to get a hotel to stay in before we go looking at flats tomorrow. The hotel said they'd have to sort out all of the paperwork and stuff that'd take at least an hour."

"Why so long?"

"I don't know, but it was fine, because there was a little chapel right down the road and so Liam and I went down to it and you'll never guess what we did."

A small smile made its way onto Harry's face as he came to the conclusion.

"You got married?" Louis guessed.

"Yes!"

"Congratulations, mate!"

"Tell Liam we said so too." Harry added.

"He's sleeping right now, but I'll tell him in the morning." Harry suddenly remembered all he learned about time zones when he was in school.

"It's, what? Two in the morning there?"

There was a pause. "Yes."

"Go to sleep like your husband!"

Niall giggled, "'Your husband'. One day I'll be saying that to you and Louis. Bye, lads."

Louis almost dropped his plate of eggs, "He can't be serious." Harry laughed, but he felt a tugging sensation in his stomach. He knew deep down that what Niall said was a possibility. He did feel something for Louis, he wasn't sure what exactly it was, but he was sure one day, they might end up just like Niall and Liam.

 

 

-THREE YEARS LATER-

 

 

Harry sat at the train station where he once met the gorgeous boy that changed his life. It had turned out Zayn, Louis' old roommate had a met a girl while he was travelling and they got married. Louis had invited Harry to live with him permanently. After all, that's what boyfriends did, right?

But what did ex-boyfriends do? Harry wondered bitterly. He didn't think that he and Louis would last forever. Far from it. Louis was older, more experienced, and he needed to get away from his younger boyfriend sometimes, no matter how much they loved each other. That's why Harry was now boarding the train that would take him to the London airport where he would fly into LA and stay with Liam and Niall for a while. He didn't really care what Louis would do when he found out. Probably go hook up with Eleanor.

Again.

Why he would decide to cheat on Harry in the first place was beyond Harry. Its not like Harry didn't love him. They'd been dating for three years and anyone could tell Harry was absolutely enamored with Louis. Unlike that Eleanor girl. She'd known Louis when he and Harry first met, but their relationship never went beyond acquaintances.

So why would Louis sleep with her?

Louis denied it so many times, but Eleanor insisted that it happened just as much as Lou said it didn't.

He knew he should trust Louis over her, but his doubts and fears got to him. That's why he packed up his bags, and that's why he left behind the ring in London,

 

LAX was too big. He would never find Liam and Niall. On the bright side, that meant Louis wouldn't find him. Louis, who "just so happened" to be going on vacation to L.A. when Harry announced he was leaving, was not going to find him here, and Harry planned on ensuring that.

"Harry?" a distinct Yorkshire accent rang through the airport. Harry hunched over and darted away from the voice.

"Harry!" a different voice, this one Irish, shouted. Harry expected him to shout, but was hoping he wouldn't in case the feathery haired boy was in earshot.

Which he was.

"Harry?" the voice was louder this time and Harry was rushing towards the direction he heard the Irish voice,

"Harry!" In front of him was Louis and from one look he knew he'd been crying.

"Harry, why did you leave?" He was joking, right?

Why don't you ask your stupid whore of a girlfriend." Harry spat before attempting to push past his ex.

"What are you talking about?" Suddenly realization hit the shorter boy like a ton of bricks. "You think I cheated?" When Harry didn't respond, Louis wrapped his arms around his neck and Harry instinctively wrapped his around Lou's waist. "Haz, I would never, ever, ever cheat on you. I love you way too much for that, and what we have, this love, it's far too important to me to ever risk anything ever happening to it."

"But Eleanor said-" tears dripped from Harry's green eyes, falling onto Louis' feathery brown hair.

"Eleanor is a deluded freak and she doesn't know anything about me, about you, about us." Louis let go of Harry and looked down. "When you left I went to your room and found something."

Harry furrowed his eyebrows together, "What?"

Louis, in answer, got down on one knee and pulled out the small box Harry had left behind.

Harry covered his mouth as Louis opened up the box, revealing a ring, "Harold Edward Styles, I've loved you since the moment I layed eyes on you and your barely legal self in that train station three years ago and I still love you. Will you do me the honor and privilege of loving you for the rest of my life?"

Harry nodded frantically, as if his life depended on answering as quickly as possible. To him, maybe it did. Louis beamed, tears filling up his cerulean eyes. He stood and slipped the ring onto Harry's finger with a kiss.

When they pulled away, Harry inspected his new ring. "This isn't the one I bought for you."

Louis' cheeks blushed a light pink, "The one you got me is in my pocket-" Harry immediately pulled it out and slipped it on Louis' ring finger. "-I had just come home from getting your ring when I found your note and then I found the ring and I knew I had to go after you." 

Harry smiled fondly and wrapped his arms around the smaller man, "Aw, Boo Bear."

"Harry!" Niall finally pushed past the mass of travellers and found the curly haired boy. "Oh hey, Lou, Harry never said you were coming too. That's okay, I'm sure Li and I can make it work. Hey are you two okay?" he seemed to just now notice the tears tracks staining both of their cheeks.

Harry laughed, "Yeah we're fine, Nialler." He ran his left hand through his hair and Niall noticed the ring and let out a squeal.

"Liam it happened! It happened!"

Liam appeared from behind his husband and smiled at the other two, "Congrats, lads." He clapped them both on the back.

Niall squealed again, "I can't wait!"

 

-SIX MONTHS LATER-

 

Niall didn't have to wait long, as wedding's go. He and Louis planned the entire thing and so when the wedding finally rolled around, it was planned down to the minute. So at exactly twelve o'clock, Harry and Louis kissed and thus began their married life.

Several hours later after the reception, Harry and Louis were running hand and hand towards the car that would take them to their new flat.

"Hey, Lou?" Harry said.

"Yeah, Haz?"

"Do you remember when we first met and we were at that karaoke bar and we met Niall?"

A smile graced Louis' lips, "Of course."

"Do you remember what song we sang?"

"Don't Stop Believin', right?"

Harry nodded and a small smile reached his face as he whispered in his husband's ear, "I never stopped believing."

 

**Author's Note:**

> I originally published this on Wattpad the summer of 2015 after working on it for two years on and off. The beginning isn't very stellar and the whole writing itself isn't perfect, but I'm pretty proud with the end result.
> 
> Thanks for reading and maybe leave some kudos or comments? Feedback is much appreciated :)


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